The Tropical Atlantic has been quiet of late — perhaps a little too quiet.

However, as the time of year arrives when that can change with the destructive, ludicrous speed of 30-50 feral hogs invading your yard, there are signs that hurricane season is stirring from its mid-summer slumber.

Chantal shan’t be of any concern at all, as it is a minimal tropical storm, that's already been downgraded to a depression. As of yesterday, it was a few thousand miles due east of lovely Trenton, New Jersey. In fact, the storm is more than twice as far from Florida as it is from Greenland, the subject of recent trade rumors and coveted geopolitical linchpin to a five-army bonus on each Risk turn. Chantal is moving east and will gradually fade away in the Central Atlantic by the weekend without further incident.

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Subtropical Storm Alberto brought a lot of rain -- on Memorial Day weekend. Hurricane season officially started June 1, but Alberto kicked things off a little early. Here's a look back at the 2018 Atlantic hurricane season storms -- and their impact on Florida and beyond. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

Before Hurricane Florence made landfall, there were estimates that it could cause over $100 billion in damage, which would make it among the most costly hurricanes in history. It was a Category 4 hurricane when these estimates reached their peaks. As the storm came ashore, it was quickly downgraded to Category 1. Despite epic rainfall, […] NOAA

This dam in Marlboro County blew out during Hurricane Florence. It is one of about a dozen dams that broke after the storm soaked South Carolina, flooding many communities in the Pee Dee region. Sammy Fretwell/The State

A handout photo of a satellite image made available by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shows Tropical Storm Gordon making landfall on the border of the US states Alabama and Mississippi on 4 September 2018 (issued 5 September 2018). EPA-EFE

This image provided by NOAA shows Hurricane Florence, third from right, on Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, as it threatens the U.S. East Coast. At right is Hurricane Helene, and second from right is Tropical Storm Isaac. (NOAA via AP) AP

Oct. 13, 2018, Port St. Joe, FL, USA; Dave Russell stands under a large hole in the ceiling of his Port St. Joe home caused by Hurricane Michael. Russell decided to ride out the storm in his home and took shelter in the bathroom wearing a motorcycle helmet. Patrick Dove, Treasure Coast News-USA TODAY NETWORK

A destroyed civil engineering building on Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., was among 1,165 environmental assets evaluated by an environmental recovery assistance team Nov. 5 – 9, 2018. The team’s assessment of the environmental impact of Hurricane Michael on Tyndall AFB is helping recovery and rebuilding efforts at the base. Courtesy photo/ U.S. Air Force

Parts of the roof of the Country Inn and Suites hotel in Panama City were deposited on cars in the parking lot and the lots next door. Mandatory Credit: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY

Water pours into the Country Inn and Suites in Panama City Wednesday after Hurricane Michael removed part of the roof. L Mandatory Credit: Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY

MEXICO BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 11: Jim Bob looks out on the destruction caused as Hurricane Michael passed through the area on October 11, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Florida. The hurricane hit the panhandle area with category 4 winds causing major damage. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Joe Raedle, Getty Images

MEXICO BEACH, FL - OCTOBER 11: Cars are piled on top of each other after Hurricane Michael passed through the area on October 11, 2018 in Mexico Beach, Florida. The hurricane hit the panhandle area with category 4 winds causing major damage. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Joe Raedle, Getty Images

In this aerial view, storm damaged boats are seen in the aftermath of Hurricane Michael on October 11, 2018 in Panama City, Florida. - Residents of the Florida Panhandle woke to scenes of devastation Thursday after Michael tore a path through the coastal region as a powerful hurricane that killed at least two people. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

Damaged boats and a truck are seen in a marina after Hurricane Michael October 10, 2018 in Panama City, Florida. - Michael slammed into the Florida coast on October 10 as the most powerful storm to hit the southern US state in more than a century as officials warned it could wreak "unimaginable devastation." Michael made landfall as a Category 4 storm near Mexico Beach, a town about 20 miles (32kms) southeast of Panama City, around 1:00 pm Eastern time (1700 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP) (Photo credit should read BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images) BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

Chantal is the first tropical storm since Barry was named on July 11, an unusual but not unprecedented gap between formations. No tropical storm development between July 12 and August 20 occurred in about 10% of hurricane seasons since 1950, most recently in 1982.

This intermission has afforded us the luxury of filling our time formulating strong internet opinions on chicken. And while the Sandwich Wars of 2019 rage with no end in sight, take note: There’s nothing overly concerning on the maps, but the two areas worth monitoring over the next seven days are both in close proximity to the continental U.S.

The first region, which I highlighted last week, is an area of showers and storms associated with a tropical wave near the Yucatan peninsula. Mid-level dry air and marginal shear will keep a lid on this system as it pivots north across the Gulf in the general direction of Louisiana into the weekend. Still, look for enhanced rain chances along the central Gulf Coast between Saturday and Monday, as tropical moisture is pulled northeast into the Deep South ahead of a midweek front.

Scattered convection over the Bahamas is the second area to watch in the upcoming week, and the more intriguing of the two. There is no sign of organization currently, but this system may slowly develop as it meanders near the east coast of Florida for the next two to four days before beginning to move north or northeast this weekend in response to a trough pushing east from New England.

With a relatively low shear environment and a track near a Gulf Stream current that is running a couple of degrees warmer than average, the chances of a tropical system developing south of the Carolinas and east of Florida by this time next week are roughly 50/50. Any impacts on land will be greatly dependent on where the low-level circulation consolidates, but the Carolinas should certainly keep an eye on it.

EPS Ensemble Mean(Photo: weathermodels.com)

Longer range, the most likely scenario is that whatever develops is swept northeast away from the East Coast by that midweek front, but there is a slight chance that blocking high pressure over eastern Canada next week complicates matters. Thus, slower or more westward movement placing the mid-Atlantic or New England at risk is not completely off the table, so stay tuned.

Further east, a tropical wave is emerging from the coast of West Africa. While this system looks impressive, lurking dry air just to its west will likely forestall any development for the next seven days. There continue to be indications that the eastern Atlantic will turn more favorable for development during the first 10 days of September, with upper-level conditions over the Atlantic potentially remaining anomalously conducive to tropical activity through the rest of the month.

ECENS Ens Mean MSLP(Photo: Weathernerds.org)

In other words, debate ye chicken while ye may, because the next six weeks are the savage heart of hurricane season and like Kevin Garnett, anything is possible. Keep watching the skies.

Dr. Ryan Truchelut is co-founder and chief meteorologist at WeatherTiger, a Tallahassee-based start-up providing advanced weather and climate analytics, consulting, and forecasting solutions to enterprises large and small. Get in touch at ryan@weathertiger.com or follow along on Twitter (@wx_tiger) or Facebook.